


Four Losers Sleeping in a Van

by TwiExMachina



Category: Durarara!!
Genre: Other, Platonic Cuddling, Platonic Kissing, Platonic Relationships, Platonic Romance, Queerplatonic Relationships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-17
Updated: 2016-05-06
Packaged: 2018-06-02 17:07:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6574699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwiExMachina/pseuds/TwiExMachina
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A look into Ikebukuro’s van foursome and how their platonic love affair came to be.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Platonic Relationships Are The Newest Discovery for Residents

**Author's Note:**

> *aggressively strums guitar* I SHIP A LONELY SHIP, THE ONLY SHIP THAT I HAVE EVER KNOWN, DON'T KNOW WHERE IT GOES BUT IT'S ONLY ME AND AND I SHIP ALONE.

There weren't a lot of things that anyone felt sure about in Ikebukuro. The town and its people were too strange to narrow down. 

Erika and Walker were definitely dating though. That was fact. They did too many things together, were too much on the same wavelength. They also kissed. That was a thing.

Still, they didn't kiss often. If they were exited, or happy, or grateful, they'd just grab the other person’s cheeks and kiss them. It was a shock to Kyohei and Saburo when it first happened. There was nothing leading up to it. But hey, it made sense. It was Walker and Erika. And they seemed happy.

But this was Ikebukuro. This was Erika and Walker. It was never that easy.

\---

Walker didn't sit in the front seat too often. It was weird seeing him bounce in the corner of Saburo’s vision. The bouncing was familiar, just in the rear view mirror, in the back. The front was Kyohei’s spot. Kyohei had work tonight, and Walker requested off so he could get the newest volume of his favorite manga or something, and that was why Walker was next to him. It didn't really matter reasonings. Walker asked, and Saburo provided. That was what they did.

“I'm telling you, Saburo, it's gonna be amazing.”

“Yeah, you did. But what if the guy messes up again?” That was another thing they did: they listened even though they really didn't give a shit. Walker and Erika had their manga, Saburo his car and idols, and Kyohei had bathrooms. You would never hear a guy so passionate about bathroom feng shui. No one could really give a shit about whatever the others went on about, but they listened, and responded. Saburo had been surprised that when he ended up talking with someone about manga, he was the knowledgeable one. And he didn't even read the shit. That was all Erika and Walker talking and him listening. 

“Who messes up? Masamune?”

“The author. Didn't he kill off another character unjustly?”

“That didn't happen. It was fridging at its worst, especially since she fought so well before. It contributed nothing, so she's just elsewhere.”

“Elsewhere, huh? Didn't she talk about running a bookstore?”

Walker nodded. “She's running a bookstore with her best friend. Kuro didn't die, she legit left, but that was because the masses didn't appreciate her brand of tsundere or the fact that she had the most chemistry with her best friend.” Walker then launched into a ten minute rant about tsunderes and character archetypes, and the poisonous nature of the uneducated masses.

Credit where props are due, Walker was incredibly smart and analytical. It just wasn't Saburo’s thing, so he could barely pay attention.

Walker was still ranting when Saburo parked in front of the store. Walker snapped his mouth shut and leapt out of the van. Saburo sighed, turned up the radio, and tilted back the seat. He opened his eyes when Walker bounded back into the van, at least three more manga than he intended to get piled in his arms. “Thanks, Saburo, I owe you.”

Saburo shrugged as he adjusted the seat. “Not a problem. We heading home now?”

“Yeah, I'm good.”

“Cool,” Saburo said and pulled out onto the road.

Walker tapped his fingers against his manga and looked over at Saburo. “Did I tear you away from anything?”

“Man, I'm unemployed. I don't do anything.”

“I still feel bad, y’know. You have a life.”

“Don't, dude. It's seriously not a problem.”

Walker nodded and put his head on his books. Saburo wasn't convinced that he had accepted that answer. He sighed and focused on driving. The focusing didn't go well though when he ended up rehearsing in his head what he wanted to say.

At Walker’s apartment, Saburo got out as well. He punched Walker’s shoulder to get his attention. “Hey, when I say don't worry about it, I mean it. Helping you will never be a problem.”

Walker blinked in surprise, then relaxed into a grin. “Well geez, don't say that. I'm bound to ask you—”

“Meh, don't care.” Saburo waved his arm in Walker’s direction. “You're my friend, Walker. Anything you could ask will never be a problem. There's no favor that needs to be replayed or anything like that. That's just what we do, right?”

Walker seemed startled by that. And when he relaxed, he still didn't seem himself, more subdued, softer almost. “Right.” He reached out to Saburo, cupped his cheek, and kissed him right on the lips. Saburo was stiff, eyes wide, watching Walker step back and wave as he went back into his apartment.

Saburo was still just standing there.

Then he got into his van, let his seat fall back as flat as it could go, put his hands on his face, and screamed softly.

What the actual fuck.

Walker kissed him, right? He didn't hallucinate that? Why? Walker acted like it wasn't a big deal. But it was a kiss. Kisses were very big deals! Saburo wasn't even into guys. Though Walker didn't really count as a guy, when he got down to it. They were close enough friends where he was just Walker, not anything else. So, maybe Saburo could see him in a different way. He was kinda nice in his own way, his ever present smile always sunny whenever Saburo felt rainy, his eyes the oddest shade of gold and that was nice to see. But Saburo liked girls, girls with long hair and big eyes and a cheerful laugh like Erika.

Oh God, Erika. He just kissed Erika’s boyfriend. Granted, he didn't kiss him back or really provoked the kiss, he must've done something romantic to make Walker kiss him. He didn't know what he did, but still his fault.

He sat up, scrubbing his face. What was he supposed to do?

\---

Kyohei walked home with Erika. He liked the van, but nothing beat walking on a cool night. It was nice talking with Erika like that too, inconvenient height difference and all. Intimate in the way leaning back over a seat couldn't provide. 

Then two guys catcalled Erika.

Kyohei didn't know what they said, really. He didn't hear them. He just recognized that they said something derogatory, heard Erika hesitate in her speech, and punched them in the face.

It wasn’t necessary, really. Kyohei might've been stronger than Erika, but Erika was far more terrifying. She didn't need him to punch anybody. Still, he didn't let anyone insult his friends and would never let anyone harass Erika.

Hence, fist to face. Both ways.

Erika led Kyohei into her apartment. “You didn't have to do that.”

“Yeah, yeah…”

“What's the point of having knives if I never get the chance to slice someone's tendons?”

“I know…”

“Do you need ice?”

“Yeah, for my knuckles.” He pulled off his beanie and sat down on one of Erika’s chairs.

Erika walked into her kitchen. “You know that the face has really strong bones. I’d’ve thought you've punched enough guys to realize that.”

“But it's so satisfying to punch someone's face.”

Erika came back in with a bag of ice wrapped in a towel and plopped it down onto his hands. She looked up at him. She must've not regarded his bruised knuckles as an immediate problem because she had taken off her hat and let her hair down in there. “You're bleeding, Dotachin.” She rubbed the space above her eyebrow.

“Ah, that explains why it stings.” One of the guys had a ring on. Kyohei thought his beanie might've been enough protection, but his skin still scraped open. He raised his eyebrows and winced as the skin stretched.

“Do you need first aid?”

“Yeah, probably.”

Erika tucked her hair behind her ear and leaned forward and kissed the spot. Kyohei froze and stared as she pulled back. She looked really, really cute with her hair down. And that small gesture of pushing her hair back as she knelt in was cute as well. Her cheeks might've been a bit pink. Or maybe Kyohei was projecting because he was glowing red, he knew it. She blinked at him, and he was caught up in the length of her eyelashes. “Did that help.”

“Um…No, actually…It didn't.”

She frowned. “Darn. That's always supposed to work.” She went into the kitchen and came out with actual medical supplies.

Kyohei was hyperaware of Erika and her general existence, of all the things that made her her, but Kyohei didn't know what he was supposed to do with that information. He didn't like her romantically or sexually, and even if he got caught up in the length of her hair, his reactions felt more like “aw yeah, look at you you're great” than “aw man I wanna go to town on dat ass”. But still, he felt awkward about it, like he was doing something he shouldn't have, thinking things that he shouldn't think about friends. It was intruding, stepping over something they had set up that was so good. 

He kept his distance from Erika, and their conversations were earnest on her end and awkward on his.

When he left her apartment, he realized that he never considered that he was breaking _Walker’s_ trust. Kyohei held his head and groaned loudly.

What was he supposed to do?

\---

Kyohei thought something was up with Saburo. 

Saburo thought something was up with Kyohei. 

Neither of them wanted to ask in fear that they'd have to bring up their kisses.

It was a very awkward time for them.

The thing was, they were both very good at keeping calm under pressure. Saburo needed that if he wanted to do a third of the things he does with his van safely and Kyohei was the morality chain of Walker and Erika. They could stew over their respective kisses for years without cracking.

That being said, Kyohei had to bring it up. He could stand awkward silence and avoidance but the thinking of Erika thing was something else entirely.

“So Erika kissed me,” Kyohei said bluntly.

Saburo jerked up in his seat. “What really?”

“Yep.”

“Walker kissed me!”

“Wait, what? Him too?”

“I mean, I guess. Man, never thought I'd have to say ‘too’.”

“I know.” Kyohei leaned back and sighed. “This is so weird.”

Saburo nodded. “I'd never considered Walker to be the cheating type, but…”

“Cheating?”

“Yeah, Kyohei, I consider kissing on the mouth cheating I don't know about—”

“He kissed you on the mouth!”

“Wait, didn't Erika—”

“No! She kissed my eyebrow?”

“Your eyebrow?”

Kyohei ripped his beanie off and pointed at the bandage. “My eyebrow!”

“Why are you freaking out over a fucking eyebrow kiss!”

“It's a big deal!”

“Not as big as an lip kiss!”

“Why are you yelling?” Walker yelled from outside.

Saburo and Kyohei snapped their jaws shut. Leaning against the hood of the van were Erika and Walker, grinning at them. They stared at each other for a long moment, before Saburo and Kyohei got out of the van. Okay, so they’d have to talk to them about this whole kissing thing. Kyohei was confident in his about his ability to calmly and rationally talk to his friends and figure out what exactly—

“Why did you kiss me man!” Saburo yelled, red faced.

—or scream at them. That would work too.

“Aw, you kissed Saburo?”

“Yeah, I did. I mean, he drives us around so much no matter what. It's only right.”

“Wow, you're right. Oh hey, I kissed Dotachin last night after he got into a fight. On his cut, of course.”

“Aw, that's really cute. I could never pull that off. But man, I wish I could've kissed Dotachin.”

“Don't worry. As proud members of Dotachin’s harem, we will all get our time in the spotlight!”

“Excuse me, but what the fuck?” Saburo spoke up, his face still red. “Why are you cool with this? You're dating right?”

They looked at each other, then back at the other two. “What gave you that idea?” Erika asked.

“We've seen you kiss,” Kyohei pointed out.

“So?”

“So you're dating, right?”

“Since when has kissing equaled dating?”

Kyohei and Saburo stared blankly at her.

Erika sighed and rolled her eyes. “I've seen you kiss your mom, Dotachin. Are you dating her?”

“Wait, you've met his mom?” Saburo said. “I've never met his mom.”

“Saburo, is now really the time?” Kyohei groaned.

“Yes, because I've known your since high school and I've never met your mom.”

Kyohei ignored Saburo. “Erika, of course I'm not dating my mom. That's different.”

“What makes our kissed romantic and yours platonic?”

Kyohei opened his mouth. Then shut it. Then cupped his chin and thought. He looked over at Saburo. Saburo shrugged. “Okay, you’ve got a point.”

Erika smiled. “Kissing is just kissing. For Walker and I, it’s affirmation.”

Walker nodded and spoke. “It’s a way of saying ‘thank you’ or ‘I care about you’ or whatever. Without words. It’s physical too, so that helps sometimes, y’know?”

“You were thanking me,” Saburo muttered, the blush still not gone, but only just faintly pink.

Walker grinned.

Kyohei sighed. “Okay, I gottcha.”

Erika held up two thumbs. “We cool?”

Kyohei mimicked her. “Yeah, we’re cool.” He looked over at Saburo, who sighed and nodded as well.

Erika and Walker grinned and started talking about the newest manga and Kyohei and Saburo followed behind, both of them trying to get used to the new idea. 

They watched the two of them hold hands.


	2. Turns Out, There Was a Deficit On Kisses In Their Lives.  Who Knew?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Turns out some people liked this incredibly self-indulgent fic.
> 
> Who knew?

Outside of the revelation that morning about platonic kisses, the day progressed normally. Saburo and Kyohei were a bit off, but they were still participating in the normalcy, just not as vigorously. 

Platonic kisses. That was something. Maybe not exactly something that warranted thinking about all day, but that's what they did.

Kyohei had always assumed that certain kinds of contact had to be romantic. It always threw him off when sometimes girls hugged in greeting, but guys rarely did. He didn't know what the difference was. Kyohei liked carrying things in public because if he saw someone he knew, he didn't have to worry about what was the right way to greet them. His arms were full.

Saburo didn't really know what to think. He liked that strict divide that was perfectly intact until that morning. Kisses were romantic, period. Except with your family. Then it was platonic. Because incest was bad. But the very existence of a but was probably proof enough that things weren't that clear cut. 

And Erika and Walker were so close, so comfortable with contact, Saburo wondered if there was something in their way of thinking. Or maybe Saburo was just lonely. He had elaborate fantasies about idols and that was his dating history. So maybe he was just desperate for contact, for physical affection.

That felt wrong, in a way.

\---

Whenever Saburo drove everyone around, he dropped them off in the same order every time. Walker would go first, with enthusiastic goodbyes as he walked into his complex. Erika normally was closer when they usually hung out, but she frequently remembered she needed something, and Walker lived close to a convenience store for emergency tampon runs. So Erika would get whatever she needed, Saburo would drop her off and the two of them would wait until Erika was safely inside before leaving (because even if she was probably the most dangerous thing in the building they were gentlemen) and then they'd begin the long drive home.

“Platonic kissing,” Kyohei said, and Saburo laughed. It wasn't funny, but Kyohei just flatout saying that made him laugh. Kyohei chuckled too. “Those two…”

“They're so weird.”

“Yeah, I know.”

Their laughter faded, smiles fell back into neutrality. 

“What if they’re right?” Kyohei said quietly.

“I mean…They can't, right? It's too…weird.”

“But they're happy.”

“They're always happy,” Saburo pointed out. “You think they wouldn't be happy if they didn't kiss?”

“Maybe? I dunno. It's Walker and Erika.”

That meant two very different things for the two of them. Kyohei met them when they were shit, were horrible people. Saburo heard about that, but all he had ever known were cheerful Walker and Erika, so he had no idea. 

Saburo pulled next to Kyohei's house. “Thanks,” Kyohei said.

“No problem,” Saburo said automatically.

Kyohei paused, his door halfway open, then let it close, sitting back in his seat.

Saburo raised an eyebrow. “What's up?

“You know that if you ask that, I'll actually answer? Everyone else it's just ‘nothing much’.”

“Well, yeah,” Saburo said, drumming his fingers on the wheel rather awkwardly. He didn't know where this was going.

“The four of us, we always say when something's bothering us.”

“Yeah, because we’re friends.”

“But I'd never tell Kida I feel constipated.”

“Look it was one time—”

“Saburo, I'm not making fun of you this time. I'm making a point.”

“Which is?”

“Answering honestly is not routine.”

“Okay, following you…”

“But the thanks…like, that's an automatic response.”

Saburo opened his mouth, closed it, then put his chin on the steering wheel. “Huh…”

“And I do appreciate everything you do. But maybe this isn't the best way to show it, if I just say it without thinking.”

Saburo's eyes widened. “Oh no wait, is this going where I think—”

“Maybe Walker and Erika are right.”

Saburo groaned.

“Maybe platonic kissing is a good way to show you I care and appreciate you.”

Saburo wanted to say that kissing could probably become as easy a routine as saying thanks. What he ended up saying was “I don't think I can kiss you platonically, dude.”

Kyohei ran over the words and his cheeks pinked.

Saburo's brain caught up to the implications. “N-not that I can only kiss you romantically.”

“No, I…gottcha. I think.”

“Good. But still. I don't know if we should…”

“We could just…try. See how it works.” Kyohei looked out the windshield. “They seemed happy with the contact.”

Saburo nodded, then looked away as well, speaking quietly like he was revealing a secret. “I don't…think I realized how little we touch. Like, as a society.” He looked over at Kyohei, saw him watching, and pressed his mouth against the steering wheel, muttering into the leather. “I didn't realize how desperate I am for that.”

Kyohei raised his hand and hovered it above Saburo's shoulder. Slowly, afraid what his touch would mean, he brought it down and squeezed.

Saburo sighed and sat up, slapping his cheeks to beat out the bad thoughts. “So are we going to do this?” He looked over at Kyohei. “Kiss to show that you really do care that I drive you around?” Saburo joked because he didn't know what to do with the pounding in his heart, didn't want to identify it.

“I mean…yeah. We keep shitting on Walker and Erika, but we probably should find out if it's worth anything. Only if you're okay with it though.”

“As okay as I can be, I guess.”

Kyohei gave him a look.

“Dude, I'm a straight guy kissing another dude. It doesn't matter if it's you, it's still weird.”

“Fair point.” Kyohei shuffled forward and Saburo unbuckled his seatbelt and met him in the middle. Saburo lifted his hand and then decided against it and lowered it. “Tilt your head left.” At Saburo's confused look, he elaborated, “I've read that people bump noses. So if we both tilt our heads left, we can't bump noses. Don't look at me, it's a thing.”

“I don't have much experience in this either. Walker was my first kiss.”

“Well, at least he's a friend.” Kyohei's first kiss was with a girl in another class who had a crush on him. She was energetic, hopeful, and blushing. Kyohei just wanted to see what the big deal was. He didn’t figure it out.

They tilted their heads, kept awkward eye contact and leaned in to meet each other. Saburo, after being sure that they would in fact meet, closed his eyes right before their lips touched. 

And they stayed. Some kind of lip action was supposed to happen, they both knew, but they didn't know what that action actually was.

Saburo pretended like Kyohei's lip was an orange he was getting juice out of and sucked gently.

Kyohei's hands hovered near Saburo's face. Face holding was a thing, right? But would that make it non-platonic kiss if he ran his fingers through his hair, if he touched his cheek? Where was the line? 

Kyohei wore aftershave, and it still had a scent this late at night. Saburo wore Chapstick, but his lips tastes a bit more like orange soda. Their breaths tickled each other, but it was comforting at the same time. 

In the end, they were both there, taking up the same space, together, and that was perfection.

They pulled back and Saburo wiped his eyes where they started to water. He laughed a bit and shook his head. Kyohei grinned and squeezed Saburo’s arm. “I can't believe—”

“—my best friend…!”

And then they looked at each other and the hysteria faded away into heavy awkwardness. It was like the words “I just kissed my best friend” landed squarely on their shoulders. The addition of the adjective “platonically” did not help.

Kyohei jabbed his thumb over his shoulder, opened and closed his mouth like a gasping fish, and said “yeah.”

Saburo gave him a thumbs up.

Kyohei got out of the van. “Thanks,” he said, then froze, wondering if now he was obligated for another kiss, caught in a vicious kissing cycle.

Saburo leaned across the van and reached for the handle. “We aren't doing this again,” he said and slammed the door, quickly falling back in his seat and driving away.

\---

All things considered, it wasn't that bad. If kissing was a thing that to happen, they'd both agree that the other was the best choice.

Still, when they all met up the next day, Kyohei looked at Saburo and the two of them blushed and looked away.

Erika and Walker looked at the two of them. Walker leaned in and attempted to whisper to Erika (really, he was just talking in a whisper tone at normal volume). “What do you think is up with them?”

“I don’t know,” Erika responded in the same way. “They’re very suspicious.”

“Very.”

“Guys, we can hear you.”

“Personally, I find the blushing to be _especially_ suspicious,” Erika continued.

“Of course you would. But I can’t deny it either.” Walker looked over at the two of them. He cupped his cheek and rubbed thoughtfully. “I wonder what illicit activities they have done when we are not around…”

“We platonically kissed last night!” Saburo blurted.

“Saburo!” Kyohei yelled, face alight again.

“I’ve read the fanfiction they wrote about you, I refuse to have them fantasize any further.”

Kyohei sighed and scratched his cheek. “So yeah. We tried out your kiss thing.”

Erika and Walker seemed thrown by that and were silent. Erika softened first, taking a step towards the two of them, her hands clapped behind her back. She smiled and leaned forward. “So?”

“So what?”

“You tried.”

Saburo blushed and looked away. She sounded so soft, so honest, so glad. “I mean, yeah we tried. You guys might’ve had a point. Or something.”

Erika grinned, bouncing on her heels. “That’s great, really great.”

Walker bounced forward, smile wide. “So, so, how was it? Was Dotachin a good kisser? Aw man, I bet he was.”

Kyohei flushed. “Guys…”

“I don’t think he’s kissed anyone before,” Saburo admitted, leaving out the fact that he had very much never kissed anyone either.

Kyohei yelled wordlessly—or tried to form three different words at the same time, it was hard to tell—and turned bright pink.

“Well, it’s not about kissing skill,” Walker said.

“Though it’s more fun that way,” Erika pointed out and it made Walker blush. She poked his cheek and laughed at him before turning back to the guys. “Seriously though, it’s about the contact. How was the contact?”

Kyohei looked over at Saburo and then looked away and rubbed his head. “I mean…I…don’t like…romance. Or dating. I think. I’ve never done any of them, but I’ve never really wanted to either. I like friendship. I like this, I like us, I like spending our days together like this. I think, I could do the kissing thing too. Occasionally. Maybe. I’ll try. I’ll see.”

Erika and Walker grinned. “Hey, what about you, Saburo?” Walker asked.

“Man, I really like kissing,” Saburo said with none of the sincerity or emotion that Kyohei had. “It was crappy, but man, it was pretty warm.”

Walker and Erika stared before Walker pressed his lips together and sputtered out a laugh. Erika covered her mouth as her shoulders started to shake.

Saburo blushed and rubbed his arm. Even Kyohei looked amused. “Look, I’m lonely, alright.”

Erika walked up to him and put her hands on his cheeks. They stared at each other for a long moment until Saburo started to smile. She matched his smile and leaned in, resting their foreheads together. “Nah.”

“Nah?”

“Nah.”

Saburo tentatively raised his hands up and placed them on Erika’s shoulders. “Hey, is this—”

“Yeah.”

“Okay.”

Kyohei watched the two of them. He had always thought that the romance anime had it wrong when the background got all sparkly and out of focus when the two love interests were together. But they didn’t seem to care that they were standing in the middle of a parking lot, swaying together. Saburo’s eyes closed and Erika’s eyes got wrinkled as she smiled.

Walker meandered next to Kyohei, taking wide, sweeping steps until he was resting against Kyohei’s side. Kyohei looked down at Walker and raised an eyebrow. “Hey there.”

“Hey.” Walker smiled at Kyohei, raised Kyohei’s limp arm and draped it over his shoulder. “Look at this.”

“Yep.”

“It’s pretty great already, I have to say. But we’ll take it slow, alright?”

“Okay.”

“Like, Erika and I chatted about this before. Y’know, the hypothetical dream team.”

“Is that our name now?”

“We’re working on it. Like, we’ll do face grabbing so you know it’s coming. No more surprise kisses until later. Probably should’ve talked this all out with you two first…But point is, we’ll figure this all out. And it’ll be great, I promise.”

Kyohei squeezed Walker’s shoulder. “But it’s already pretty great.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Feel free to let me know what you think on my tumblr as well. It's also [TwiExMachina](http://www.twiexmachina.tumblr.com)!


End file.
